The 49th British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, took place on 23 April 1996 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, honouring the best national and foreign films of 1995. Presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, accolades were handed out for the best feature-length film and documentaries of any nationality that were screened at British cinemas in 1995.^[1]

Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility won the award for Best Film. The film also won awards for Best Actress (Emma Thompson) and Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet).^[2] Il postino (The Postman), directed by Michael Radford, won the awards for Best Director, Film Not in the English Language, and Original Music. Nigel Hawthorne won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in The Madness of King George; the same film was voted Outstanding British Film of the Year. Additionally, Tim Roth won the award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Archibald Cunningham in Rob Roy.

The ceremony was hosted by Angus Deayton, who was reportedly paid £50,000 for hosting.^[3]